Chapter 12 #3
‘And then some. The moment I finished filming my scenes a member of the production team approached me and said he was there to escort me off set.’ Her face heated, the embarrassment of that moment still raw enough to sting. ‘He told me I was just the latest girl in a long line.’
‘That must’ve been so awful for you. Tell me who the bastard is and I’ll boycott all his films from now on!’
She hadn’t thought anything about that awful time could make her laugh, but somehow Ed had found a way.
‘The guy from production did me a favour because he warned me never to let it happen again. He told me that it was always my reputation that would suffer, never theirs. And he was right.’ She’d seen it happen often enough since to other young hopefuls.
Frankie had done her best to warn them, but too many of them had dismissed her as either jealous of the attention or believed they knew better.
They’d never known better.
‘I try not to be too hard on myself about it because I was young, but it was a lesson I’d rather not have had to learn. Now everything on set is strictly business.’
They were both silent for a while, then, out of the blue, Ed said, ‘I thought I was in love with someone last year.’
There was something confessional in his tone and Frankie found herself leaning towards him. ‘What happened?’
Ed sighed and scrubbed a hand through his scruffy mop of hair.
‘She was my boss and I believed her when she told me her marriage was over. When she decided perhaps it wasn’t after all, I was out on my ear.
No one at the company batted an eyelid when she got rid of me because I was only a temporary hire and she told the company I was surplus to requirements.
’ He shook his head. ‘I was too embarrassed to fight it, so I just left.’ The edges of his mouth tipped up in a self-deprecating smile.
‘See what I meant about needing to grow up a bit?’
Far from finding him immature, Frankie thought his confession showed a depth of maturity and empathy she admired. He’d recognised her vulnerability and exposed something about himself in return. ‘You didn’t have to share that with me, but thank you.’
Ed shifted in his chair and then rose. ‘Well, I think that’s probably enough of confession time for one day, don’t you? I’d better go and face the music at Mum and Dad’s before they disown me.’
Frankie would’ve liked him to stay longer, but she’d already taken up too much of his time. She pushed back the blanket and stood. ‘Thank you for staying and talking to me. You can tell them it’s my fault for delaying you.’
Ed grinned. ‘I might just do that.’ He raised his hand and touched her arm, just a ghost of a touch that was gone almost before she’d registered it. ‘I’m glad you gave me the chance to explain, and I really enjoyed getting to know you a little better. Maybe we can catch up again soon?’
She nodded. ‘I’d like that, but I’m not sure there’ll be time. We’re hoping to finish filming on Wednesday.’ She stopped and shook her head. ‘No, we have to finish or there’ll be a mutiny if we don’t. Everyone else is desperate to get home before Christmas.’
‘And where’s home for you?’
‘Nowhere, really. I have a flat back in London, but I only live there because it’s convenient.’ She glanced around the cosy little cottage and sighed. ‘I wish I could take this place with me as it’s the most at home I’ve felt anywhere for a long time.’
‘Why don’t you see if you can stay on for a bit longer, then? Although, saying that, you’ll have plans for Christmas back in London, I assume.’
She shook her head. ‘No one to make plans with, remember? Besides, I’m not much of a Christmas person. I’ll probably just chill out at the flat. I’ve got a script to look over for my next role, so that will keep me occupied.’
‘You can do that here, then,’ Ed declared, like her staying on was a done deal. ‘And you can join us at Mum and Dad’s for Christmas – there’ll be so many of us that one more won’t make any difference.’
‘Oh no, I couldn’t impose on them!’ The little girl inside her was intoxicated by the thought of it though.
It had been too many years since she’d experienced anything like a family Christmas.
The memories of the ones when it had been just her and her mum were too painful to recall, given how things had ended between them.
And the ones after that? They’d been more soap-opera slanging matches than photo-album moments.
‘Rubbish. Mum loves a waif and stray!’ Ed clapped his hands together.
‘I’ll speak to her and Dad tonight but consider yourself invited.
Right, I’d better get going.’ He headed towards the door and she followed in his wake.
Ed paused with his hand on the handle and looked around the room.
‘If you’re staying, we should get you a tree. ’
‘A tree?’
‘Pointy green thing. You stick it in the corner and cover it in lights and tinsel and baubles.’
She laughed. ‘I know what a Christmas tree is. I’m not sure I need to bother with one though.
And I haven’t even said I’m staying.’ The cottage was leased until the end of December, but no doubt the production company would be trying to hand it back early if they did manage to finish filming on time.
‘Nonsense! I’ll speak to Dad about borrowing the car and we can go tree hunting next weekend.’ Ed paused. ‘Damn, it’s the Christmas Fayre on Saturday and I’ve promised Rick I’ll help out. We could go on Friday morning instead – what do you say?’
‘Who are you, Santa’s little helper?’
Ed laughed as he pulled open the door, letting in a blast of frigid air that made her shiver in just her pyjamas. ‘Consider me your magical elf sent to help you discover the true meaning of Christmas.’
Frankie took the door out of his hand and shooed him outside. ‘You make it sound like a Hallmark movie.’
‘I’m not sure I’d go that far, but give me a chance and you’ll be a Christmas kind of person before you know it.’ Ed took a step down the path. ‘I’ll see you bright and early Friday morning. Don’t forget to lock the door behind me.’
Frankie did as he instructed then rested her back against it with a sigh. She stared across the room. If she moved the table next to the fireplace it would be the perfect spot for a Christmas tree… She shook her head. ‘What the hell are you doing to me, Ed Penrose?’